Improvement in carriage-lanterns



F. PARK. Carriage-Lantern.

N 0. 195,945. Patented Oct. 9, 1877.

i", 1! Mini! N.PE!ERS. FHOTOLTHOGRAPNER WASHINGTON D O UNITED. STATESPATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS PARK, OF DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-LANTERNS.

Specification fomning part of Letters Patent No. 195,945, dated October9, 1877; application filed May 31, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS PARK, of Deerfield, in the county ofFranklin and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Carriage-Lanterns; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and accurate description of the same, which, withthe accompanying drawings, will enable any one skilled in the art towhich it pertains to make and use the same.

. My invention relates to that class of lanterns which are mainlyintended to be used on wagons or other vehicles for use in traveling atnight, and is particularly intended to be attached to the shafts of asingle wagon or gig, though it may be attached to other parts of acarriage, and can also be used conveniently as a hand-lantern.

In order more fully to illustrate and explain my invention, reference ishad to the accompanyin g drawings, forming a part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my lantern, with oneside broken away to develop the interior. Fig, 2 is a view of the lamp,reflector, and lens or bulls-eye, connected together and arranged on aslide to be inserted or withdrawn at will. Fig. 3 shows the lantern asattached to the shaft of a wagon.

The earlier and still more common kind of carriage lanterns weresupplied with light from a candle placed underneath the case of the lampin a tube, and fed up for combustion by a spiral spring. These give aninsuflicient light, are somewhat cumbersome, and objectionable on otheraccounts. Succeeding and somewhat superseding these are various oillampsof diiferent forms and with various devices, but all of them liable tosome objection, as the difficulty of keeping them burning when subjectedto a gust of wind or sudden jar, and the unsatisfactory light they givewhen attached to the side of a wagon, while it is inconvenient to detachthem, and utterly impossible to use them for any other purpose.

My lantern, which I believe to be free from all these objections, isintended specially to be attached to the shafts of a wagon, one on eachside of the horse, say between the holdbackstrap and the axle. It isthere out of the way of the mud from the wheels and from the horsesfeet. It sends the light forward from a low level, and directly on theroad without blinding the driver with side lights. It cannot bedisplaced by the jarring of the shafts in traveling, and cannot beextinguished by a jar nor by a gust of wind. It is readily attached anddetached, and by the adjustable handle can be used on the road, in thestable, or about the house, as readily and more agreeably than anordinary hand-lantern.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, A is the case of the lantern, which is madeof a square form, having a perforated bottom for the admission of air,and a double ventilator at top, with apertures in each opening inopposite direc tions. This may be made of tin japanned, or of othermetal, the side being represented as broken away. Within may be seen thelamp, the reflector, and the. glass lens or bulls-eye, all attachedtogether and to a helm-cylindrical slide.

Projecting above the case is a handle, B, with prolonged ends, which,extending down in two diagonally-opposite corners, allow it to bewithdrawn far enough to carry the lantern with convenience and withoutburning the hand.

Fig. 2.-O is a lamp, arranged on a hemicylindrical slide, having thewicks midway between the reflector and the lens in front. The reservoirfor the oil extends back under the reflector, and has on its rear end asmall spiral spring, which, by pressure against the back of the case,aids in withdrawing the slide with the lamp. A pin passing through thewicktubes prevents the wicks from jarring down.

This lamp may be arranged for burning kerosene as well as whale oil.

011 the same slide at the rear end is a metallic reflector, D, securedto the slide and to the lamp. In the front of the slide is secured anordinary bulls-eye or plano-convex lens, E, for dispersing the light.

The slide, in the ends of which are fastened the reflector and the lens,is a hollow cylinder.

of tin or other metal, having the principal pon tion of its sides cutaway to a point below the line of the flame in the lamp, and havingsecured on its under side, and near the front end, a spring, F, with aprojecting thumb-piece,

and a shoulder to catch within the case of the lantern, and to retain itin place.

On one side of the lantern is secured a tongue with a shoulder. Thisprojects down nearly as far as the bottom of the lantern, and entersinto a socket fastened to the shaft of a wagon, where it is so securelyheld as not to be thrown out by any jar or shock in traveling. It mayalso be attached to the sides of a wagon, or, by a change of thefastening from the side to the back of the lantern, may be placed uponthe dash-board of a double wagon, when it would be efl'ectual.

It is intended that the tongues on the sides of the lantern shall be onopposite sides, to make a pair for the right and left shaft. It

will also be found to be an exceedingly convenient lantern for ordinaryuses.

I clain1 1. The combination, in a carriage-lantern, of the lamp, thereflector, and the lens, all on one slide, with a spring to hold it inplace.

2. In a carriage-lantern, the combination of the lamp, the reflector,and the lens on a slide in a case, with an adjustable handle, and with atongue and socket for attaching it to the shafts or other part of awagon or other carriage.

- FRANCIS PARK. In presence of J AMES S. GRINNELL, M10. D. PATTEN.

